New bridge takes shape at Reading station

In just four months’ time passengers will be using the new pedestrian bridge to reach all platforms at Reading Station.

Regular users of the railway and passers-by will have seen the new structure grow through the year.

But out of sight the surface of Station Hill has been lowered to the same level as the Caversham side of the station to allow pedestrians to use a newly refurbished subway.

The grand glazed entrance to the new bridge will feature escalators, lifts and steps to take you to the upper deck and down to each platform.

When the bridge is complete at the end of March 2013, there will be ticket machines on the northern side and a small number of retail units on the deck itself and office space below the walkway.

Senior project manager Graham Denny said the new station will have 19 escalators, which is only four fewer than the UK’s largest station, London Waterloo.

The giant structure contains 1,646 tonnes of steel which is the equivalent of more than four eight-carriage First Great Western high speed trains.

In tandem with the bridge construction, work has been underway in refurbishing the pedestrian subway which will be open in late February.

Then, part of the existing pedestrian bridge will be dismantled to allow further platform works which means people using the station car park will have to use the subway to take them to the main entrance of the station.

Those customers are being advised to add 15 minutes’ walking time on to their journeys.

Passengers are also being given advance warning of 10 days of disruption to services over Easter next year.

Work to open the new pedestrian bridge, new platforms and entrances will mean significant changes to train services between March 28 and April 8.

Mark Hopwood, managing director of First Great Western (FGW), said: “We’ll be doing all we can to minimise inconvenience to our customers while the work is going on.

“This includes putting on special train services via diversionary routes to avoid the work and making FGW tickets available on other train operators’ routes.”